Many electronic applications can be created with combinations of electronic modules connected together, and it is convenient to have all the modules for a particular purpose supported in a single structure. A common example is a household stereo component tool, which might include a radio receiver, various media players, content storage, and an amplifier. A more modern example would be a server farm. Electronic modules conventionally have signal and power couplings on the rear wall, or “back plane” of the module and controls and visual displays on the front wall, or “front plane”, of the module.
The basic structure for supporting a plurality of electronic modules is a rack. Racks come in a variety of standard sizes to accommodate correspondingly-sized electronic modules. The standard sizes for racks and components are established by various industry organizations. A rack with side, top, and rear panels is referred to as a cabinet. Racks have vertical attachment rails that have holes of an industry-standard size and industry-standard spacing. Electronic modules are mounted in a rack by positioning perforated side flanges of the module in alignment with holes on the rails and inserting fasteners in through the flange perforations and through the holes in the rails. During the fastening procedure, the module must be supported in the aligned position while the fasteners are inserted. Frequently, this becomes a two-person task because the weight of some modules makes them unwieldy. In addition, maintaining alignment makes the fastening process slow.
Therefore, a need exists for a tool that assists in mounting electronic modules in electronics racks to speed up the process and to make it easier.